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Drengin Digest: February 2008

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Drengin Digest: February 2008

Status report

from GalCiv2 Forums

Galactic Civilizations II: Twilight of the Arnor is being worked on heavily. This week we started implementing a new feature that allows players to have the AI design ships for them. So for new players in particular who just want a decently designed ship, they can now get it with this new option.

Obviously the AI is going to be a major element of what we start working on. Beta 5, which is due out later this month to those who have pre-ordered it, will be the first beta with significant AI enhancements. It will also have a host of other tweaks based on increased internal play testing.

The last beta, beta 4C, was the first one to provide updated AI to the minor races. We haven't seen too many reports on any differences in their behavior. We'll be making a lot more tweaks to them. Basically, minor races will behave the same as major races in the final version except that they won't colonize new planets. But they'll invade, research, and just generally behave smarter than they have in the past.

For the past couple weeks, Stardock has had its collective attention on Sins of a Solar Empire. It's been a lot of work to get that out but the results have been fantastic. It's currently the #1 game in North America according to Gamerankings user interest polling. Sales have been phenomenal as well and the first few reviews have been very positive.

In the next week or so, we'll be migrating to an updated forum back-end that should be (in theory) much faster than what we have today.  It should also have a lot of cool new features. Naturally, everyone will hate it. :)

Most of the Stardock games team is working on the upcoming 4X fantasy strategy game which will be turn-based and have turn-based tactical battles and support multiplayer.  It uses a brand new engine we've been developing that allows players to zoom out and see the world as a cloth (Tolkien-esq) map or zoom in to see individual leaves on trees. The reason we've developed our own engine is so that we can have fine control on the hardware requirements. We want people with 5 year old systems to be able to play the game easily (and I mean play it VERY easily) but at the same time allow players with the latest DirectX 10 cards to get an incredible visual experience too.  We'll open that up for pre-orders (which will allow users into the beta) probably by end of Spring.

So that's what's happening.  Let us know if you need anything.

Cheers!

 

47,927 views 63 replies
Reply #26 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
GC2 won't be getting multiplayer. Aside from patches, TA is pretty much the end of the road for it. GC3 will most very likely be based on the fantasy game's engine, though.
Reply #27 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Basically, minor races will behave the same as major races in the final version except that they won't colonize new planets. But they'll invade, research, and just generally behave smarter than they have in the past.
End of quote


I think I've found a new mission in life - to shepherd the Snathi into becoming a galactic superpower. I'll smash the fleets of their neighbours, thereby paving the way for Snathi transports full of squirrel commandos. Soon they'll be powerful enough to take their rightful place among the major races, and bring a new era of rodent terror to the galaxy.
ObjectDock - Access shortcuts and frequently used applications from an animated dock.
Reply #28 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
We want people with 5 year old systems to be able to play the game easily (and I mean play it VERY easily) but at the same time allow players with the latest DirectX 10 cards to get an incredible visual experience too.
End of quote


...does that mean it will support Windows 2000 as well? ;D
Reply #29 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

We want people with 5 year old systems to be able to play the game easily (and I mean play it VERY easily) but at the same time allow players with the latest DirectX 10 cards to get an incredible visual experience too.


...does that mean it will support Windows 2000 as well?
End of quote


No, but it will support Windows 98! ;)
Reply #30 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
In the next week or so, we'll be migrating to an updated forum back-end that should be (in theory) much faster than what we have today. It should also have a lot of cool new features. Naturally, everyone will hate it.
End of quote


[joke]I HATE IT! I don't know why, but I hate it! I know, I'll blame the government! That always works![/joke]

It uses a brand new engine we've been developing that allows players to zoom out and see the world as a cloth (Tolkien-esq) map or zoom in to see individual leaves on trees. The reason we've developed our own engine is so that we can have fine control on the hardware requirements. We want people with 5 year old systems to be able to play the game easily (and I mean play it VERY easily) but at the same time allow players with the latest DirectX 10 cards to get an incredible visual experience too. We'll open that up for pre-orders (which will allow users into the beta) probably by end of Spring.
End of quote


Cool. I love Tolkien :).

DirectX 10 support? Sweet! Can this new engine be made to work with GalCiv 2?

Supporting older systems is good - according to Valve's hardware survey, a lot of people are still using DirectX 8, and a decent number are even using DirectX 7.

The main focus should probably be on DirectX 9, as it's by far the most popular. In fact, a lot of people are using a DirectX 10 compatible cards but are using DirectX 9 because DirectX 10 requires Vista.

As for me, I live on the edge . . . I'm using 64 bit Vista :D. All I need now is a DirectX 10 card.
Reply #31 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
In the next week or so, we'll be migrating to an updated forum back-end that should be (in theory) much faster than what we have today. It should also have a lot of cool new features. Naturally, everyone will hate it.
End of quote


Great news! My hatred of these forums is legendary.

Suggestion: tiny stark white text on pure black is hard on the eyes. Any chance of a friendlier color scheme that didn't involve pure white or pure black backgrounds, that are notoriously harsh on a backlit monitor? Dark text against a nice, comforting neutral grey background can be "science-fictiony" too.

Great work as always!
Reply #32 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Thanks for creating an AI that will design ships for us. Making ships is fun, but the whole process of refitting a ship over and over gets tedious.
Reply #33 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
GC2 won't be getting multiplayer. Aside from patches, TA is pretty much
the end of the road for it. GC3 will most very likely be based on the
fantasy game's engine, though.
End of quote


Never cared much about Multi-gizmos or even, MMOG 'transit versions' of any kind.

Strangely though, i find your comment quite interesting on the account that GC3 may be based on the Fantasy engine - eventually. Lots of manpower surely had to be dumped towards the general encoding and it would be such a waste not to take advantage of the asset by fitting some features or functions inside a theoretical GC3.
As long as this conceptual change of mind wouldn't alter too much the basics found in the current galactic Quad-X, i guess i'd be willing to follow up on it and gamble a few thousand mouse-clicks at new horizons.
Nevertheless, just the Races of GC2 are exactly the kind of inspiration anybody willing enough would need to fantasize upon in a number of ways; Think of Yor's purply mood-swings under the wrath of emotionally involved skills by a group of Tholian spy-like greenies and you'd figure out that some huge amount of variations is highly possible/probable.

Expanding the storyline with TA (plus many other things, btw) is good enough for me... at the moment.
One never knows what the real future holds, though.
Including what WE all may wish or request for in GC3.

- Zyxpsilon.

Reply #34 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Suggestion: tiny stark white text on pure black is hard on the eyes. Any chance of a friendlier color scheme that didn't involve pure white or pure black backgrounds, that are notoriously harsh on a backlit monitor? Dark text against a nice, comforting neutral grey background can be "science-fictiony" too
End of quote


Isn't this the most eviromental friendly way to display web sites?


(says the bloke who turned of the heating last winter because he had enought computers in the room to keep it nice and warm)

Bakka

Reply #35 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Galactic Civilizations II: Twilight of the Arnor is being worked on heavily. This week we started implementing a new feature that allows players to have the AI design ships for them. So for new players in particular who just want a decently designed ship, they can now get it with this new option.
End of quote


I posted something about doing this a while back, but hey I'm glad you came up with it too. ;p
Reply #36 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
The new fantasy strategy game sounds really interesting can’t wait to hear more about it and the idea of GC3 using the same engine is also very intriguing. Beta 5 of TA also sounds good.

Anyway thanks for giving us the update.
Reply #37 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Looking forward to the new beta release ... :D

Sins is a great game ... only played a few games online ...
Need to improve my gaming skills a little more ..

Also, lokking forward to your next game ..
Reply #38 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Salivating at the thought of the Fantasy game . . .

Oops, made a mess on the keyboard. Lemme wipe that up. ;)
Reply #39 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Looking forward to the fantasy game as that was why i left a few token over on my TGN subscription :)

Next update for GCII sounds great, although on my part i would have liked the minors to have been able to colonize within system as well as from invasion. I guess i could colonize it for them and then gift it to them for loads of techs though :D
Reply #40 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Let us know if you need anything.
End of quote


Since you ask ...

Imagine integrating the new Fantasy game or GalCiv3 with Dreamscapes 2. The running game as active wallpaper! I'm not sure if it's practical but it certainly would be cool. Add back some of the WOW! Microsoft left out of Vista.

Reply #41 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Interesting comment on "Sins" - I installed it and deleted 3 times :)
On the 3rd install I somehow got into the GalCiv set of mind instead of RTS and the game is great.

Waiting to preorder new Fantasy game , hope it will be Master of Magic with better graphic and new unit/races/spells . No real need for tactical batles.
Reply #42 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Did Society get canned? I thought that was the next project. Not that I mind, since I'm definitely pre-ordering the fantasy game.
End of quote


I was worried that this 4x project had turned in to Societies...Wasn't too excited about that, as I don't do the MMO thing. Really excited to hear more about this new fantasy game. I'll pre-order like I do everything else...
End of quote


Society is a separate, long-term project. It's currently on hold for a couple of years until we have the appropriate personnel and infrastructure in place for an MMOG.
End of quote


Interested readers can go here to check out more about Society.  Be aware however, that we haven't posted much of anything there recently.  What, with the workload we've had with TA, Sins, the new Political Machine, and the upcoming fantasy-strategy game.

Reply #43 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Need to improve my gaming skills a little more ..
End of quote


And there-in lies my problem. I can't spend the amount of time needed to become a hard-core online player. So, if I venture in to an online game, I invariably get it handed to me by someone who plays all the time. Or by someone with 14 y/o reflexes in an on-line shooter, or someone who plays all day, every day and has a level 40,000 character in WoW. Just not fun to me, and not worth my effort.

GC3 will most very likely be based on the
fantasy game's engine, though.
End of quote


Sweeeeet.
Reply #44 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

The last beta, beta 4C, was the first one to provide updated AI to the minor races. We haven't seen too many reports on any differences in their behavior. We'll be making a lot more tweaks to them. Basically, minor races will behave the same as major races in the final version except that they won't colonize new planets. But they'll invade, research, and just generally behave smarter than they have in the past.


End of quote


Actually just started a game on 4C, against 9 Gifted to Genius level opponents (Painful with randomised intelligence) and a random number of minors. Early on I received a report that I was most powerful, followed by... the Snathi and the Carinoids. Don't know if this is a sign of improved AI or I was just lucky to see the minors remembering to build warships, but a few turns after this report I heard that the Carinoids declare war on the Korx, which I think is the first time I've seen a minor race declare war (rather than be half-heartedly attacked). Flipside to the fighter building is that there doesn't seem to have been as much constructor-spam going on so far.

Anyway, my supposed genii have remembered to start building ships now and I forgot all about it - didn't seem report-worthy at the time - but will be keeping an eye on my minors now!
Reply #45 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Actually just started a game on 4C, against 9 Gifted to Genius level opponents (Painful with randomised intelligence) and a random number of minors. Early on I received a report that I was most powerful, followed by... the Snathi and the Carinoids. Don't know if this is a sign of improved AI or I was just lucky to see the minors remembering to build warships, but a few turns after this report I heard that the Carinoids declare war on the Korx, which I think is the first time I've seen a minor race declare war (rather than be half-heartedly attacked). Flipside to the fighter building is that there doesn't seem to have been as much constructor-spam going on so far.
End of quote


I had a game last night were I had the Dread Lords give me 90% of the techs they had to secure a peace treaty with me. That was nice.
Reply #46 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Honestly- I'd love to see Stardock made a cell-shaded 2d fighting game, or an RTS game in the Kohan vein. (no peons, few units, lots of strategy with the units)



Reply #47 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I'll be buying the GC2 expansion but I'm less into beta action for it. I have faith in SD's ability to deliver. I'm in Mythos beta, WAR beta, and now AoC beta too and there just aren't enough hours in the day/week/month for it all! (went from never getting into betas ever to beta overload)

I'll likely pre-order the new game just to get a peek since I'm really interested in seeing it, period.

Sins is a really good game. It's SO easy to play it and look up and notice that hours have passed. Slick interface, nicely done game elements, nice pace, and overall fun. I generally dislike RTS and have only ever enjoyed RON. Sins is enjoyable to me in a RON kind of way. I also have zero desire to MP these games, so the single player has to be good.

I'm a WoW junkie and few games peel me away from it - Sins is one of the few. It takes something of the Civ IV, COD4, GalCiv2 caliber to get me out of WoW.
Reply #48 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Vogar, The current state of TA isn't too much of what I'd categorize as a Beta in comparison to other game studios.

With the exception of a few more things they are yet to implement, the game is fully functional. They haven't pushed out a build yet to my knowledge that was world-ending buggy. The economy has gone through a few roller coaster rides, but they are getting things nailed down closer to what they want there.

Current things not yet released that I know of: custom races (currently turned off), new victory condition, major race AI update and a few more editors.
Reply #49 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
GC2 won't be getting multiplayer. Aside from patches, TA is pretty much the end of the road for it. GC3 will most very likely be based on the fantasy game's engine, though.
End of quote


Thanks Kryo. Doesn't really matters actually. I currently have 0 time to play multiplayer games (and single player) and you will probably be releasing GC3 before I get some hehe. Anyway, this is great news (the GalCiv3 thing).
Reply #50 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
They haven't pushed out a build yet to my knowledge that was world-ending buggy.
End of quote


Well... there was that one crash if you didn't invade a planet before the AI did when the new invasion screen was released... but even that had a reasonable work around (load a game, invade a planet, cancel it, load your real game).

But, yeah, definitely better than most, if not all (at least today, anyway) first retail versions of other games. :)